The Headless Horseman of Monroe County
by ChristyK
Summary: The brothers investigate the sighting of a Headless Horseman
1. Chapter 1

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

This is another one I wrote before the finale. If you decide to read it I hope you like it.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

The Winchester brothers sat at a dirty counter of an old diner drinking coffee and eating breakfast. Dean checked out the waitress while Sam looked at the newspaper.

"Hmmm." Sam said as he folded the paper in half and began reading a column.

"What?" Dean asked as he tore his eyes off the waitress's backside.

"Nothing."

"Well you must have found something interesting because your eyes are glued to the paper."

"Just a little story."

"About what?"

"It's nothing Dean."

"Damn it Sam!" Dean grabbed the paper away from his brother. It had been two weeks since they had been on a hunt and he was getting restless. Dean held the paper up in front of him. "A headless horseman?"

"I told you it was nothing, just a little story to fill space on the paper."

Dean read the article then looked over at Sam and smiled.

"I say we check it out."

"Dean, Bradford is a college town."

"So?"

"So it's probably just a bunch of college kids having fun."

"But what if it isn't?"

"Dean have you looked at the calendar lately? It's October….Halloween. It's just a prank."

"But it's right down the road. Why don't we just check it out?"

"You really are going stir crazy aren't you?" Dean looked at Sam, his eyes pleading with him to say yes. "Oh okay." Sam gave in. "But I'm telling you it's just a prank."

**Bradford, Monroe County **

They checked into a motel then called the paper saying they were writing a book on urban legends and wanted to talk to the reporter who wrote the article. They were connected to him and made arrangements to meet him at a local diner.

**Later**

They walked into the diner and the reporter was already sitting at a table waiting for them. He stood up when they walked over to his table.

"Hi I'm Don Henshaw."

Dean stuck out his hand and shook Henshaw's.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Dean Matthews and this is Sam McGrath. We're collaborating on a book on urban legends and we happen to see your article. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us."

They all sat down at the table and ordered a light lunch.

"How can I help you?"

"Just tell us what you know about the Horseman."

"Well…." He thought for a few seconds. "There's really not that much to tell. The Horseman has been seen by about six people so far. He's dressed in black and rides a black horse. They said he came galloping out of the woods at night and rode across the road in front of them then disappeared into the woods on the other side or off into a nearby corn field….and they said he carries his head in his hand."

"Has anyone been hurt by him?" Sam asked.

"Not that I know of."

"Who actually saw him?"

"I have a list right here." The reporter reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the list which he handed to Dean.

"May I keep this?"

"Sure…I talked to all of them before I wrote the article and I'm sure they won't mind me giving you their names. None of them seemed to be the type to make something like this up."

"Oh I don't doubt that they actually saw something." Sam said glancing at Dean.

"My partner seems to think it's a bunch of college kids having fun." Dean explained

"That's what most people in town think. Except…." The reporter hesitated.

"Except what?" Dean asked.

"Except in the last two cases…That night we were having a really bad storm and the Horseman road off into a muddy cornfield …The thing is…he didn't leave any tracks."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you like the story so far, hope you like the rest of it.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter two

**Later back at the motel**

"Don't read anything into it Dean."

"Sam he said the horse didn't leave any tracks."

"Yeah but it was raining and muddy out. The tracks could have filled up with water and weren't visible to the naked eye or were washed away in the rain."

"Or…he didn't leave any tracks just like Henshaw said."

"Or it's all a prank like I said."

"We won't know that for sure unless we check around."

Sam smiled and shook his head.

"Okay, I can see you're not going to let this rest. We'll check around and then when you're finally convinced there is no headless horseman we'll find another hunt. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Where do you want to start?"

"Well like you said Bradford is a college town, why don't we start at the local college hangouts."

**The Sleepy Hollow Inn**

They drove around town until they found what appeared to be the main hangout for the college kids in town. It was appropriately named The Sleepy Hollow Inn. Sam pointed to the name as they walked into the bar.

"Guess where they got the idea of the Horseman from?" He said smiling sure he was going to be right on this one, there was no Horseman just a college prank.

"That doesn't mean anything. There could still be something going on out there."

They walked into the bar and instead of getting the usual suspicious looks that they usually got when they walked into a strange bar they got smiles, mostly from the women. They kept to themselves at first but did manage to play a few games of pool with some of the college kids that hung out there. The brothers deliberately lost a lot of the games to make it look good and to keep on friendly terms with the students. They told the few people who asked what they were doing in town the same story they had told the reporter, that they were writing a book on urban legends. They listened to a few stories about the Horseman but no one seemed to know anything more then what the paper had already printed. If they did, they weren't talking.

**Later as they walked to their car **

"That went well." Dean said smiling. He had gotten used to walking into unfamiliar bars and getting the cold shoulder from the patrons and it was nice to finally get a friendly greeting.

"Yeah they seemed like a nice bunch. … Did you notice that girl with the long reddish hair who kept to herself?"

"Yeah."

"She seemed like she was scared of something, especially when the talk turned to the Horseman."

"Yeah I noticed."

"Maybe she knows something."

"Or maybe the stories just scare her."

"Well hopefully she'll be here tomorrow night; maybe we can get close to her."

The brothers planned on hanging around the bar for a few days and talking to a few more people about the Horseman including the red haired girl. They also planned on checking out the people who had claimed to have seen the Horseman.

**The next day**

They headed out to the home of the first person whose name was on the list that the reporter had given them, a Tom Brown. Brown lived on a small farm on the outskirts of town. As they approached the farm they noticed police cars and an ambulance sitting out front. The cops were up on the front porch talking to a woman while the ambulance driver slowly pulled away. Since the lights and siren weren't on the brothers knew it wasn't an emergency, or the person they were called for was already deceased and there was no reason to hurry. Dean waved the ambulance down as it drove past them.

"Excuse me but we wanted to talk to a Tom Brown. Do you know if he's home?"

"Are you friends of his?"

"We're reporters and we were going to ask if we could interview him for a story we're writing."

"Sorry but Mr. Brown passed away."

"Oh… that's too bad. What happened, a heart attack?"

"No…" The driver looked at his partner not knowing if he should release any information but then decided it would be in the paper the next day anyway. "He must have slipped and fallen into one of those machines that you use for separating corn from their husks….he was decapitated."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter three

"Decapitated?" Dean looked over at Sam.

"Yeah it's a pretty messy scene up there; I suggest you two stay away."

"Believe me we will." Sam said as he watched the ambulance pull away.

"You heard him Sam; he said the man was decapitated."

"That still doesn't prove anything Dean. He worked around dangerous equipment….it happens."

"Yeah maybe, but a Horseman also decapitates its victims….I'm telling you Sam, we got us a Horseman." Dean was getting excited at the prospect of a hunt.

"Maybe, but let's not jump to conclusions until we check around."

"Okay….Let's see who's next on our list." Dean pulled out the list of names and addresses the reporter had given them. "Mary Ralley…." Dean checked a map of the area. "Looks like she lives about a mile from here."

**Mary Ralley's house**

They knocked on the door and a woman of about fifty came to the door.

"Yes?"

"Hi, we're from Real or Not magazine and we're writing a book on urban legends. We read in the paper about the sightings of a Headless Horseman in the area and we saw that you were one of the people who actually saw it." Dean said as he gave the woman his most charming smile. "We'd like to ask you a few questions for our magazine."

At first the woman hesitated but then the thought of being written up in a magazine changed her mind.

"Sure, ask away."

"Would you like to tell us what you saw?" Dean and Sam both pulled out tablets.

"I'll be in the magazine?"

"Yes, with your permission of course."

"Of course you have my permission." The woman was excited at the thought that her story would be published in a magazine, her neighbors would be so jealous.

"Thank you….now would you please tell us what you saw that night Ms. Ralley?"

"I was riding home alone after going shopping about two miles from here and all of a sudden this figure on a horse came galloping out of the woods. At first I was just startled but then I saw he had no head."

"Go on…"

"He just stood in front of my car for a few seconds then ran off into the woods on the other side of the road."

"That's it?" Dean hoped she'd be able to tell them more.

"Yeah."

"Did the Horseman appear to be fully formed?" Dean asked, he knew that sometimes the spirit of a Horseman would flicker off and on and part of the body sometimes appeared to be missing.

"He appeared to be, yes."

"You couldn't see through him?"

"I don't think so."

"Could you hear the horse's hoofs on the road?"

"Yes, quite clearly, it was an unusually warm night and I had my window down, the sound was quite clear."

"Could you tell me again exactly what the Horseman did?"

"Nothing. He stood in front of the car for a few seconds then rode off into the woods."

"We appreciate you taking the time to talk to us Ms. Ralley." Dean said as he and Sam turned to leave.

"You can call me Mary…Ms. Ralley is so formal."

"Thank you Mary." Sam turned around and smiled at her then headed with Dean toward the car.

"Don't you need me to sign something?" The woman asked following them.

"Sign something?"

"So you can use my story… Don't I have to sign some kind of release form?"

Dean glanced at Sam.

"Oh of course." Dean smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead. "So stupid of me to forget." He handed her a form he had on his tablet and hoped she didn't read it. "Just sign here." He pointed to a line that said signature.

She signed it and handed it back to him.

"When will the article be published?"

"Oh it'll take a month or two, but we'll be sure to send you a copy."

"Thanks, I can't wait to read it."

Dean and Sam both gave her a smile then continued toward the car.

"What did you give her to sign?" Sam asked once they were in the car.

"Oh…" Dean gave a little laugh. "She just signed a form to order more tablets."

Sam shook his head and smiled.

"We got to be more careful next time and print up some kind of release form from the computer."

"You can do that today sometime."

"Well what do you think?"

"I'm beginning to think you're right. This could all be a prank." Dean looked over at Sam. "Horsemen don't make sounds. Their horse is a spirit whose feet never touch the ground."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter four

They returned to the bar later that night but learned nothing new. The girl they had hoped to talk to wasn't there so they had left early.

The next day they checked out the sites where the Horseman had been spotted but found nothing unusual. They went back to the motel and decided to do a little research on the town's history.

**Early evening – motel room**

Sam was sitting in front of his computer when Dean came walking in the door with food he had picked up at a fast food restaurant. He put the bag on the table then handed Sam a beer.

"Find anything out?" Dean asked.

"Not yet…..I just started going back through old newspapers but I haven't found anything." Sam looked up at Dean. "I still think it might just be a college prank. Brown getting his head cut off by that farm equipment might just be a weird coincidence."

"Maybe." Dean sat on the bed eating a hamburger as he looked through the local newspaper he had picked up at the motel's office. "Or maybe not."

Dean spread the paper out on the bed as he read an article.

"What do you got?" Sam asked as he stood up and walked over.

"Another decapitation….and guess who?" Dean turned the paper so Sam could see the article.

"Mary Ralley…" Sam said as he looked down at the article.

"Who else…..It says she was in an accident with a truck that was hauling sheet metal and a piece slipped off the truck and went through her windshield slicing her head clean off."

Sam looked over at Dean.

"Looks like we got ourselves a Horseman." Sam knew it would be too much of a coincidence for two people who claimed to have seen the Horseman to both have accidents where they were decapitated.

"Which means that everyone who sees him dies."

"So we got four others who are on his list."

"Yeah …but Ralley said she heard the horse's hoofs on the street, which means it really wasn't the Horseman but a fake."

"So it looks like the Horseman is even killing the people who saw the fake….Odd, but it's happened before."

"Why don't you keep checking those old papers and see if you can find anything that might show how the Horseman was created."

**Later that night**

Dean lay stretched out on the bed watching a basketball game while Sam used his computer to go back through the archives of old newspapers for the town.

"Got it!" He shouted startling Dean and causing him to reach for his gun.

"Damn it Sam!" Dean said as put the gun back under his pillow then walked over to his brother.

"Sorry….but I found something." Sam looked back at his computer. "In 1898 a man on horseback was being chased by a mob and was hit by a train. Both he and the horse were killed." Sam looked up at Dean. "He was decapitated by the train."

"That certainly gives us a reason for a Headless Horseman."

"Get this." Sam looked back at the screen. "The people of the town accused his mother of practicing black magic so they took it out on her son. They were chasing him for no reason other then they didn't like his mother…. he hadn't done anything."

"A perfect reason for wanting revenge."

"But why wait so long?"

"Maybe there's a curse on the descendants of the actual people that were involved. What better way to hurt someone then having their children or their children's children pay for what they did."

"But for a Horseman to materialize they have to be summoned by someone."

"So that's our next move, find out who summoned him."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews. I'm on vacation till next Tuesday and I'll continue the story then…. Till then I'll leave you with a little cliffie…….

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter five

"Well whoever summoned him must know the ritual. You can't just go to a spirit board and call one up." Sam said as he looked at his computer screen. "You have to have a séance but you need to know the right words to say."

"But why would anyone want to call up the Horseman?"

"I don't know. The train accident happened so long ago why would anyone still want revenge?"

"If the mother really did practice black magic she'd probably know the spell but this happened in 1898 she's long dead."

"A ancester maybe? But why now?"

"I have no idea. Why don't you see if you can come up with names of any of the descendants of the man who was killed, maybe some of them still live around here." Dean said as he grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to head back to the bar and see if I can find out anything. I'll be back in about an hour."

**Sleepy Hollow Inn**

Dean walked into the bar and was immediately greeted by smiles.

"Back for more huh?" One of the men at the pool table said walking over. Dean had let him win a few games and he seemed anxious to win more, a college student could always use the money.

"Sure why not." Dean put a quarter next to the row of quarters that were already lined up on the table.

He ordered a beer then looked around the room. The girl with the reddish hair once more sat in a corner sipping on a drink. She seemed to be by herself so Dean ordered a drink for her then carried it over.

"Mind if I have a seat?" He asked smiling at her.

"No, go ahead."

Dean sat down and put the drink in front of her.

"I can't understand how you girls can drink those things….too sweet for my taste."

The girl finally gave him a small smile as she looked into his handsome face.

"Thanks." She said accepting the drink. "They're really good, you should try one."

"Nah….I'll stick to my beer." Dean watched the game for awhile pretending to be interested in it. He then looked back at the girl. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Dean."

The girl put out her hand.

"I'm Janet."

"Nice to meet you Janet."

"You too."

"So what do you guys do around here for fun?"

"This." She waved her hand in front of her indicating the bar.

"There must be other ways to have fun then just drinking." Dean decided to come right out with it. "Hey, I heard about the Horseman prank. Pretty funny, must have scared a bunch of people."

"Yeah I guess it did." She said looking down at her drink.

"Who thought it up?"

"Some of the guys, they wanted to do something for Halloween and they came up with the Headless Horseman."

"I heard six people saw him." Dean looked into her face to see what her reaction would be as he added. "And two of them are dead."

"Two?" She looked up at him and he could see shock and fear in her eyes.

"Tom Brown and then I read in the paper today that Mary Ralley had been killed…both of them were decapitated….Odd huh?"

Janet picked up her drink but her hand was shaking so badly that it splashed onto her hand. Dean handed her a napkin.

"You okay?"

"Yeah….I heard about Mr. Brown but I hadn't heard about Mrs. Ralley."

Dean could tell the girl was upset and decided to come right out and ask her about the séance. He didn't want to further upset her but the sooner they found the person who performed the ritual the sooner they could stop the killings.

"I heard something else…. I heard that someone in town held a séance trying to conquer up a real Horseman. Do you know anything about that?"

The girl looked at Dean her eyes wide and filled with fear.

"How did you know about that?"

But before he could answer her a loud explosion rocked the bar.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter six

The patrons of the bar emptied out into the street. Up the street an orange glow came from about a block away.

"Call 911!" One of the patrons yelled to the bartender as most of the group including Dean and Janet ran up the street to see what was happening.

When they got to the fire they saw that an entire house was engulfed in flames.

"That's Jack Hasler's home!" One of the bar patrons shouted as he and the others tried to find some way into the house.

"It's too late, there's no way to get in." Dean shouted to the men. Flames shot out of every entrance to the house and he knew it would be suicide to try and enter it. Dean swallowed hard as he looked at the house, he had recognized the name of the house's owner; it was the third person to have seen the Horseman.

"Jack! Jack you in there!" One of the men shouted up to a bedroom window.

"Oh my God!" Janet screamed in horror as she backed up away from the car she was standing next to.

Dean looked down at the space between the car and the curb. Lying face up was the head of Jack Hasler a few feet away lay the head of his wife Pearl, the third and fourth person to have seen the Horseman.

Dean walked over to Janet and led her away from the scene.

"Oh my God what happened to them!" She sobbed as she walked down the street.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. … It must have been a bomb or a natural gas explosion." Dean figured the explosion had ripped the bodies to shreds sending the heads out into the street. But he also knew the curse of the Horseman was behind it.

**Motel Room**

Sam had spent the last few hours tracing the descendants of the man killed in the train accident. Patrick Harrison was the man who had been chased to his death by the mob. The family was poor so he was buried in Potter's Field, a term used for the graveyard of people who couldn't afford a funeral and were buried at the county's expense. He was married at the time of his death and had two sons, one moved out of state and the other lived in the area and fathered a son and daughter, the daughter died shortly after birth. The son had married and had fathered three boys and two girls. He had their last name changed to Harris to avoid the stigma of the Harrison name. Of the three boys only Vincent lived in the area where he fathered a son and daughter. The parents got divorced and the mother took the girl with her to another state while the father had custody of the son Casey. There the history ended, but as far as Sam could tell Casey might still be living in the area.

Sam's eyes were tired from looking at the computer so he got up and walked over to the door and looked out into the night. It was a cool October night and the breeze that came from the field across the road felt good. He looked at his watch wondering what was taking Dean so long; he said he'd be back in about an hour. He hoped he hadn't run into any trouble. Sam pulled out his cell phone but no signal flashed across his screen. He was about to call Dean from the motel phone but he knew the bar was only about a mile away and it was a nice night so he decided to walk down to it and hopefully run into Dean on his way back to the motel. Maybe the cool night air would wake him up.

As he walked he tried to remember what their father had told them about how to destroy a Horseman. Of course there was the usual salt and burning of the bones, but Sam knew it would be hard to find the gravesite in a field full of old hard to read tombstones or no tombstone at all. They could look in the county records to get an idea where the grave might be, but finding the exact site would be next to impossible. The only other way would be to kill the person who summoned it. Sam hoped it wouldn't come to that, but once a Horseman was released from his grave he could go only killing forever. If it came down to losing one life or numerous lives Sam knew what their choice would have to be.

He continued walking down the road lost in thought, but a movement to his right caused him to look over at the field. Running toward him was a horse, its rider headless.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter seven

Sam sucked in his breath and watched as the Horseman galloped toward him, then out onto the road. He knew it was the real deal and not the prankster when he didn't hear a sound and saw that the horse's hooves didn't touch the ground. He instinctively reached for the salt gun under his jacket even though he knew it wouldn't do any good against the spirit. It might make him disappear for awhile but it wouldn't destroy it. The horse reared up in front of Sam and he looked directly into the face of the head the spirit was holding. After a few seconds the horse got back down on all fours and ran across the road then disappeared into the woods on the other side of the road. Sam let out his breath as he watched the spirit vanish. So now he was on the Horseman's list. He figured he might as well continue walking toward the bar hopefully he'd run into Dean on his way back to the motel.

**Sleepy Hollow Inn**

Dean walked Janet back to the bar but decided against asking her anymore questions. She was clearly upset and he could tell he probably wouldn't get any answers from her. All he could do was leave and hope she would show up tomorrow night. He left the bar and jumped in his car hoping that Sam might have some answers when he got back to the motel.

He was only a few blocks from the bar when he saw his brother walking down the road, he pulled up next to him.

"What's up?" He asked as Sam climbed in the passenger's seat.

"I got worried. You said you'd only be an hour."

"I would have been but there was an explosion and …. Well let's just say we can scratch two more names off the Horseman's list."

"And add one."

"Someone else saw him?"

Sam hesitated for a few seconds….He knew Dean was going to be pissed.

"Yeah…me."

"You saw him?" Dean asked and Sam could clearly see the worry in his big brother's eyes.

"Yeah….just about five minutes ago."

"Damn it Sammy!" Dean slammed his hand down on the steering wheel. "Why the hell did you leave the motel?"

"Because I was worried about you….I thought you might need help."

Dean shook his head and looked out the side window. With Sam now on the Horseman's list it made the need to find the answers even more urgent.

"Did you find anything out?" Dean looked over at Sam and felt bad for jumping on him. His brother's concern for him was what now might end up getting him killed.

"I traced all of Harrison's descendants and found one that might still be in town. His name is Casey…. But his grandfather had their names changed to Harris to try and get away from the stigma of the Harrison name. He didn't want them to be associated with the great, great grandmother who was accused of witchcraft."

"Do you have any idea how old this person is?"

"I'd say maybe late teens, early twenties."

"I guess all we can do is check the phone book and check out all the Harris's in the area."

"Do you know how many Harris's are listed in the phone book? And if they want to avoid any attention they probably have an unlisted phone number."

"So how about the grave? Did you find out where his grave is?"

"The family was broke…he was buried in Potter's Field. I doubt if there's even a tombstone."

"Well then we go down to County Records and see if we can find out where the grave might be located."

"They didn't keep very accurate records back then; the gravesite might not even be documented."

"Then the only thing left is to track this Casey down and…."

"And what Dean….kill him?"

"Yeah Sam, that's just what we might have to do."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter eight

Dean didn't want to have to do it but if it meant saving his brother then yes, if it was the only option they had, and if Casey was the one who summoned the spirit, he would have to die.

"We can't just kill him Dean."

"Why not? He's probably the jerk that summoned the Horseman. Four people are dead already because of him."

"You can't be serious….You'd really kill the kid?"

"Sam if it's your life or his, yeah I'd kill him."

"How do we even know for sure it's him? What if we're wrong?"

"Who else could it be? You read the paper….his great, great, grandmother was accused of black magic. Who's to say she didn't pass some of her spells down to her children and then to her children's children and so on? The town killed her son Sam; you better believe she'd want revenge."

"But maybe he didn't realize that the ritual actually worked. He could have just been goofing around, you know for Halloween."

"Apparently it did work Sam, and I'm not going to run around looking for a grave while more people die when it might be easier to find this guy and end everything."

"You'd actually kill him?" Sam still couldn't believe Dean would shoot a human.

"If I had to, yeah."

"Well promise me you won't do anything until we're sure it's him."

"What do you think I'm going to do Sam run up to him and blow him away without being sure?"

"I've seen you when you get yourself worked up Dean….yeah I could see you doing something like that."

"Well it's no use sitting here in the middle of the road arguing about it. Let's get some sleep and tomorrow we'll find a phone book and see if we can track this kid down."

**The next morning**

Dean looked up Harris in the phone book and began calling each of them asking for a Casey. After the thirtieth call he slammed the phone down and looked over at Sam who was working on his computer.

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Dean grabbed his jacket. "I'm going to see if I can get anything from the county records. Maybe we'll at least get an idea where the grave might be located."

Sam also grabbed his jacket.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dean asked.

"Out."

"You're not going anywhere Sam. Not till we figure out how we're going to send the Horseman back to Hell."

"Dean, he isn't going to come after me, not yet anyway. There are two people on the list in front of me, Sue and Bryan Ryder and I'm going to warn them not to go anywhere until we end this thing."

"They're going to think you're nuts Sam. They're not going to listen to you."

"Maybe so…but I got to try."

Dean knew Sam was right, if they separated they could check out things quicker then if they stayed together. He knew as long as the Ryders were alive Sam would be safe.

"Okay, but keep in touch." He tossed Sam the car keys. "You can drop me off at the courthouse then pick me up at the bar in about two hours."

**Later**

Dean headed into the courthouse and looked at the records for the Potter's Field graveyard. More then half the people buried there were unknown and buried in unmarked graves. The rest had Xs marked on an old map but nothing pointing to the exact location of the grave. Frustrated he decided to head to the bar hoping to find Janet, he was sure she knew more then what she told him. He knew if they didn't end the curse soon, his brother was going to die.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter nine

**Ryder's house**

Sam walked up to the front door and knocked. He knew he was going to sound crazy but he had to warn the couple. A man in his forties opened the door.

"Good afternoon are you Bryan Ryder?"

"Yes."

Sam stuck out his hand.

"I'm Sam McGrath from Real or Not Magazine. We're doing an article about urban legends and we were told you and your wife saw the Headless Horseman." Sam used the same story they had told the reporter.

Ryder's wife Sue walked up behind her husband.

"Who is it honey?"

"It's a reporter from a magazine; he wants to know about that guy on the horse we saw."

Sue looked at Sam.

"We really did see him. I know a lot of people think we made it up but we didn't."

"I believe you…. I've seen him myself."

"You did?"

"Last night." Sam could see into their living room and saw suitcases packed and ready to go. "You're going away?"

"Yep, we're catching a train to Florida." Sue said smiling. "We haven't had a vacation in years and we thought it was about time we took one."

Sam knew he had to tell them about the curse, he couldn't let them go.

"I'm not sure how to tell you this so I might as well come right out and say it….You're in danger…both of you."

"What?...Why?" Bryan looked at Sam suspiciously as he took a step back into his living room and pulled the door slightly closed, keeping it between him and Sam.

"I'm sure you saw in the paper about the four accidents where the people were decapitated….Well….their deaths all have to do with seeing the Horseman."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bryan asked glancing back at his wife then whispering to Sam. "I think you better leave buddy, you're scaring my wife."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to but…you have to listen to me. There's a curse associated with seeing the Horseman…..People die after seeing him…."

"Now look here buddy….I don't know what kind of nut you are but I want you off my porch!" Bryan was getting angrier by the second. This man was scaring his wife, not to mention himself as well.

"Don't you think it's odd that four people died by decapitation? Four people who saw the Horseman….You and your wife are in danger; I suggest you stay in your house till I can see if I can end the curse."

"You really are some kind of a nut case aren't you? If you don't leave I'm calling the cops."

"I know it sounds insane but I'm telling you the truth. You two are next on the Horseman's list."

Bryan looked over his shoulder at his wife.

"Sue call the cops."

"You need to listen to me. The Horseman's curse is coming after you next….you are both going to die unless you do what I say."

"Get the hell off my porch!"

"Believe me I know I sound insane but it's true. You need to postpone your trip and stay inside. I'll get back to you when it's safe to leave."

Without warning the man grabbed Sam by the collar and delivered a hard blow to his mouth splitting his lip. A trickle of blood ran down Sam's chin as he took a step backward. He wasn't about to fight the man who he knew was only trying to defend himself and his wife.

"Please if you want to live listen to me. Don't go on vacation, just stay in your house and when this is all over and it's safe to come out I'll let you know." Sam could see the woman talking on the phone and assumed she had contacted the cops. He had no choice but to back off.

"I have a gun, and if you come here again I'll use it." The man threatened before slamming the door in Sam's face.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter ten

Sam had no choice but to head to the bar to meet Dean. He could only hope that Dean had found some information that would help them. He entered the bar and found Dean sitting alone at one of the tables. Sam first headed into the restroom to wash the blood from his face; he then walked over to Dean's table and sat down.

"Find anything?" Sam asked as he poured beer into a glass from the pitcher that sat in front of his brother.

"Nothing…. Most of the graves are unmarked; the others just have an X in the general vicinity of where the grave should be located. We could dig up bodies all night and not get the right one." Dean looked at Sam and noticed the blood on his shirt and his split lip. "Looks like Ryder didn't believe you." He said as he reached out and tilted Sam's head to the side so he could get a better look at his lip. "Ouch." He smiled as he gently touched Sam's swollen lip.

"He thought I was a lunatic….just like you said he would." Sam pushed Dean's hand away.

"You just left them there?"

"Yeah…I didn't have a choice. I should have busted in and tied them up so they couldn't leave but the wife called the cops. I had to get out of there." Sam looked around at the empty bar. "So what are you up to?"

"Waiting for Janet…. The bartender said she sometimes pops in during her break between classes."

"You really think she knows something."

"Yep. She knew about the séance. All we need to do is find out who performed the ritual at the séance, probably Casey, and then see if he can recant it."

"And if he can't?"

"Then we've got a problem."

Sam took a sip of beer then looked at his brother. He knew Dean wasn't going to like what he was going to tell him.

"There is another way."

"What do you mean another way? … Sam there are only two sure ways that we know of to destroy it, salt and burn the bones, or kill the person who summoned it. The only other possible way that I know of if the person who summoned it has another ritual that will reverse the curse."

"Well that's not exactly true….While you were sleeping last night I did a little research."

"And?" Dean looked at Sam annoyed; he hated it when Sam kept things from him.

"If the last person who saw it, other then the person who summoned it, can confront it and run a silver sword through its heart, it'll kill it."

"And by the last person you mean you." Dean was already beginning to not like the idea.

Sam nodded.

"If I can get it to come to me, then I can try to stop it before the Ryders are killed."

"This thing can kill Sammy. It doesn't just cause the person to be killed by some other means…..it can kill on its own."

"I know."

"So you're just going to hang around outside hoping it comes?"

"Yeah, I guess that's what I'll have to do."

"And before it has a chance to lop off your head you're going to stab it through its heart?"

"I'm going to try."

"Nope…don't like the idea." Dean picked up his beer and drained half the glass.

"You got a better one?"

"We find this Casey and kill him if we have to."

"Dean we can't just kill some kid."

Dean looked into Sam's face.

"You think I want to? … It might be the only sure thing."

"Let me try this first. Tonight I'll go to the place where I saw him and hopefully he'll show."

"I already said no Sam."

"You're not Dad Dean. You can't order me not to do something."

"No but I can kick your ass if you try to."

"You can try." Sam gave his brother a small smile trying to break the tension between them but Dean didn't return it. "Okay…." Sam gave in. "We'll talk to Janet first and see if we can find anything out. But if she can't help us…." Sam didn't need to finish his statement. He knew his brother knew that if Janet was of no help he was going to go through with his plan to try to end the curse himself with or without Dean's blessing.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

I appreciate the reviews, I'm glad you still like it.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter eleven

**Later**

They waited for two hours and were about to leave when Janet came into the bar with some of her classmates. When she saw Dean she turned to leave but he quickly walked over to her.

"I really need to talk to you Janet." Dean said grabbing her arm.

"I have nothing to say."

"I think you do. I think you know about the séance and you know who summoned the Horseman." Janet tried to pull away but Dean held on tight. He knew if they didn't find out who summoned the Horseman his brother was going to die. "Janet, more people are going to die unless you help me, including my brother."

She looked up at him as tears filled her eyes. She nodded to him then let him lead her back to his table. Dean introduced Sam to her as she sat down.

"He didn't mean for it to happen." She said softly.

"Who?"

"Casey."

"So Casey is the one who summoned the Horseman?"

They knew that Casey was the name of one of Patrick Harrison's descendants, the only living descendant they knew that might be still living in the area.

"Yeah…but he didn't think it would really work, he was just goofing around. … He knew the ritual….it was passed down through my family."

"Your family?" Sam glanced over at Dean then looked back at Janet. "So you're related to the witch?"

Janet nodded.

"Casey is my brother." She looked back and forth between the brothers.

"What happened Janet?" Dean asked.

"We were having a party and we knew some of the guys had been dressing up and scaring people pretending to be the Horseman, you know because of Halloween and all…. So Casey said he knew a ritual that would call up a real Horseman. Well of course everyone laughed at him thinking he was just kidding but he wasn't."

"What did he do?"

"We got in a circle and had a séance….and during it Casey said the ritual."

"What happened?"

"The candles we had lit suddenly blew out, even though the doors and windows were shut. And then all of a sudden the shadow of the Horseman appeared on the window shade briefly and then was gone. Well we all freaked out and went home. We had convinced ourselves that it was just our imagination until we heard about Mr. Brown dying, and the way he died."

"Where is Casey Janet?"

"I don't know." When she saw them look at each other she quickly added. "I honestly don't know. But I have his cell phone number."

"Call him, and tell him to pick a place to meet us at."

"You're not going to hurt him are you?"

"No Janet….we're not going to hurt him." Sam said then glanced at Dean who quickly looked away not wanting to meet Sam's eyes. He knew that if it came down to it, yes they would have to hurt Casey; they might even have to kill him.

Janet dialed the number but shook her head after the voice mail came on.

"Casey its Janet. Call me back as soon as you get this message…it's important." She looked at Dean. "Sorry but it could be hours, or even days before he calls me back. … He's not one to check his voice mail that often."

Dean wrote his cell phone number on a card and handed it to Janet.

"Janet it's real important that you call me as soon as you hear from Casey, no matter what time it is." When he saw the way she looked at him he added. "We're not going to hurt him … we just need to talk to him. He can pick the spot to meet us."

"Who are you two and what do you want?"

"Who we are isn't important, what is important is that we talk to your brother before more people get hurt."

For some reason she felt like she could trust them.

"I promise….I'll call you as soon as I hear from him."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter twelve

**Later**

Rather then sit around the bar waiting for Casey to call, the brothers headed back to the motel with Janet's promise that she'd call as soon as Casey called her no matter what time of day it was. On the way to the motel they drove by the Ryder's house and could see them through the window. At least they were still alive. They would have liked to have hung around the Ryder's neighborhood just to keep an eye on things but if Sue Ryder really did call the cops they couldn't afford to. They didn't need a cop to drive by and find them sitting outside the Ryder's house and haul them into the station for stalking.

**Motel**

"So what do we do now?" Sam asked as Dean lay down on his bed and reached for the remote control. He soon found a basketball ball and interlocked his hands behind his head and settled in to watch the game.

"We wait."

"You really think she'll call?"

"Yeah, I think she's scared enough to want to end this thing."

Sam pulled out his laptop and turned it on. He wasn't interested in the game and decided to do some more research.

**Later**

Evening came quickly and with it a storm. Sam walked to the door and looked out at the field across the street wondering if the Ryders were still safe. When he turned around he noticed that Dean had fallen asleep. Janet still hadn't called and Sam was beginning to get restless. If they didn't end this thing soon the Ryders were as good as dead. He had researched the Horseman's legend again and he was beginning to think the only sure way to end the curse was to stab the Horseman in his chest with a silver blade. Burning and salting the bones was the only other option and since they had no idea where the body was buried confronting the Horseman seemed to be all they had left. Killing Casey to end the curse wasn't even a consideration, at least not for him.

Sam took Dean's keys off the dresser then went outside and popped the Impala's trunk. He looked through the various weapons until he found what he was looking for, a silver sword. He quietly closed the lid then put Dean's keys back on the table. He then turned the light on in the bathroom and turned the water on in the shower. He hoped if Dean woke up he'd think he was taking a shower and go back to sleep. He then left and headed down the road hoping to run into the Horseman.

**Half an hour later**

Dean's cell phone rang and he grabbed it still half asleep.

"Yeah."

"It's Janet. I'm sorry if I woke you but you said I should call if I heard from Casey."

Dean quickly sat up in bed.

"That's okay Janet, what's up?"

"He's scared. He didn't think the ritual would really bring back the Horseman, it was all just a joke."

"We're not here to judge him, only to end this thing."

"He's staying with some friends out on Maple Lane."

"Do you have directions?"

"Yeah, he said from the bar you turn left then take the first right then stay on that road for about ten minutes then take the first left, that's Maple Lane. He said the houses are spaced far apart and he's in the second house on the right….You're not going to hurt him are you?"

"No Janet. We're just hoping since he knew how to summon the Horseman, he might know a ritual to stop him."

Dean thanked Janet for calling then knocked on the bathroom door.

"Come on Sam let's go…..That was Janet on the phone and she told me where Casey is."

Dean grabbed his jacket.

"Sammy move it!" He shouted.

When Sam didn't answer him he knocked harder on the door then opened it. He could see through the shower curtain and could tell his brother wasn't there.

"Damn it Sammy!"

He ran out the door and jumped in his car. He knew where Sam was and he could only pray he'd get there in time.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

I appreciate the reviews, thanks.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter thirteen

The weather had turned worse and Sam turned up his collar against the cold rain. He now stood at the exact same spot where he had originally seen the Horseman. Now, all he could do was wait and hope he showed. If he could just plunge the sword through his heart this all should end, or at least he hoped it would. But what if the sites on the computer were wrong, what if it didn't work? He knew the Horseman wouldn't be able to kill him unless the people that saw him before he did were dead and as far as he knew the Ryders were still alive, or were the? He was just beginning to think he might have made a mistake when he saw a shadowy figure appear in the field to his right. By now the rain was pounding into his face making it hard to see but he knew it had to be the Horseman. He took the sword out from under his jacket and waited.

Dean knew Sam had been on this road when he saw the Horseman and knew it was only a mile or so to the bar so where the hell was he. Had he missed him? Had the Horseman already lopped off his head and his body was lying in a ditch somewhere? But then he saw a figure standing on the side of the road, it was Sam.

He blew his horn as he neared him. He saw Sam glance his way but at the same time he saw the Horseman fly out of the field and toward his brother. He could see the Horseman was holding a machete.

"Sam look out!" He screamed as he floored the accelerator and tried to position the car between Sam and the Horseman.

The horse reared up on its back legs as the Impala flew in front of it. The Horseman lashed out at Sam with the machete just as Sam lifted his sword and tried to plunge it into the spirit's chest, but the car was now in his way and he couldn't reach it. He quickly turned away as the Horseman jumped over the car but then turned and slashed his machete down toward Sam but instead of being struck across his neck the blade caught him on his shoulder putting a deep gash in his arm. The spirit then galloped off and disappeared once more into the woods.

"Sam!" Dean got out of the car and ran toward his injured brother. He knelt by Sam's side and checked his wound. "This is pretty deep, I might need to…"

"What the hell were you doing?" Sam interrupted him.

"What?" Dean looked at Sam confused. "Saving your butt is what I was doing." He said angrily.

"I could have had him Dean and this could have been over with."

"Or you could be dead."

"You should have stayed away Dean….Now that you saw him….it means you're next after me."

"No one's going to be next. Janet called and we have Casey's location."

"But what if he doesn't know a ritual that will reverse the curse?"

"Let's just hope he does." Dean led Sam over to the car where he took out the first aide kit and wrapped a bandage tightly around Sam's upper arm. "I might need to stitch this up later but right now we need to get to Casey."

**Maple Lane**

Dean eased the Impala up the rutted drive way that led to the house Janet had directed them to. As they got out Dean glanced at Sam's arm and could see blood oozing through the bandage. He wished he had had time to stitch the wound but right now they had more important things to deal with.

Two boys and a girl walked out to meet them.

"Which one of you is Casey?" Dean asked.

A dark haired boy wearing a sling on his arm stepped forward.

"I am."

"Did Janet tell you why we wanted to talk to you?"

"She said you thought there might be away to stop these murders."

"We hope we can but…." Dean looked at the couple who stood next to Casey. "Can we talk to you alone somewhere?" He wasn't sure how much the couple knew and didn't want to put Casey in an awkward position.

"Sure." Casey turned toward his friends. "Why don't you guys go inside, I'll be in in a few minutes."

After the friends walked away Dean looked at Casey.

"So start at the beginning and tell us what happened?"

"Janet said you knew who our great, great grandmother was." Dean and Sam both gave a little nod. "Well….we grew up hearing about the Horseman legend. The ritual to summon him was passed down through my family." He looked back and forth between the brothers as his eyes filled with tears. "Honest to God I didn't think it would really work, I swear I didn't."

"So the ritual was passed down through the generations, how 'bout a ritual to send the Horseman back to his grave?"

"There isn't any."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter fourteen

"There isn't?" Dean said as he glanced at Sam and caught his '_I told you so_' look.

"None that I know of." Casey looked back and forth at them. "There is a way to kill him though isn't there?"

Sam looked at Dean knowing his brother couldn't come right out and say what he was thinking, '_Yeah there is a way but it_ _involves killing you_'

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud clap of thunder.

"Let's go inside and get out of the rain." Dean was glad that it started pouring and he could change the subject.

Once inside Casey introduced them to his friends.

"This is Barry and Robin."

"I'm Dean and this is Sam."

"You can talk in front of them. They were at the séance and know what's been going on."

"So you know about the deaths from the curse."

"Yeah, six people…" Barry started to say.

"I thought there were only four." Dean interrupted him.

"It was just on the news a couple of hours ago. The Ryders were killed…. They were running for their train last night and the wife tripped and fell onto the tracks. Her husband tried to help her up but the train came and….."

"Killed them both, cutting their heads off." Sam finished the sentence.

"Yeah, their heads, legs, arms, just about everything."

Sam shook his head sadly and walked away. Why hadn't he made them listen to him? They'd both be alive if they had just stayed in the house.

Dean excused himself and walked over to his brother.

"Sam I know what you're thinking, but it isn't your fault." Dean knew his brother always took the deaths of people he tried to save hard….way harder then he did. He knew you couldn't save everyone and didn't dwell on it like Sam did. When he finished a job he tried to put the people involved in it behind him but not Sam. Sam would sit up for nights wondering what they did wrong and why people they tried to help had died.

"Dean I should have made them listen to me."

"How could you? We live the kind of lives most people don't even think about unless it's in their nightmares. Trying to convince them that a Headless Horseman was going to kill them is like telling them that pigs can fly. They have to witness it to believe it."

"Our lives suck."

"Yeah that's true…. But think of all the people we've saved throughout the years. There are a lot of people who would have died if it hadn't been for us. You got to think about that Sam, not about the people we lost."

"Dean you shouldn't have come after me tonight."

"I wasn't about to let you go after him by yourself. You never should have tried to."

"Yeah but now you're on his hit list too….because of me."

"Sam we're a team, we fight together, and we'll go down together. That's just the way it is."

Their conversation was interrupted when Casey suddenly spoke.

"He's out there." Casey started trembling as he backed away from the window.

"How do you know?" Dean asked as he and Sam walked over.

"Every time he's near…I can feel him….I have some sort of weird connection to him. I guess because I'm the one who summoned him."

Dean glanced at Sam then looked back at Casey.

"So he's outside right now?"

"Yeah."

Dean headed toward the door but was stopped when Sam grabbed his arm.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm getting the sword from the car….I'm going to end this thing."

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter fifteen

"No!" Sam grabbed Dean's arm even harder.

"Let go of me Sam."

"I'm not letting you go out there and commit suicide."

"Oh, but I was suppose to let you do the same thing?"

"Well then I'm going with you."

"You can't Sam; you're next on the list."

"I'm not letting you go out there by yourself Dean. Either I go with you…or you don't go."

"Sam I'm thinking since you're next he won't be able to kill me till you're dead, he'd be breaking his pattern. So as long as you're safe…"

"But what if that's not true?"

"Well I guess we won't know that till I find out will we?" Dean turned toward the door.

"Dean…" Sam hated the idea of his brother walking into danger and he not being there to back him up. "There has to be another way."

"It'll be okay Sam. It's the only thing I can think of to do other then salting and burning the body."

"Salt and burn the bones?" Casey who had been listening to them walked over.

"Yeah, it's the only sure way to destroy a spirit." Sam explained.

"Why can't you do that then?" Casey asked.

"We can't find the body. The court records don't give an accurate location of the grave."

"I know where it is; at least I think I do."

"You do? Where?"

"My great, great, grandmother wanted to bury her son at home but she wasn't allowed to, something to do with the county law. So after he was buried in Potter's Field she had her brothers dig him up and bring him home. He's buried at their old homestead."

"And you know where it is?" Sam asked hopefully. If they could salt and burn the bones Dean wouldn't have to confront the Horseman.

"Yeah."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for." Dean looked over at Casey's friends. "You two stay here and don't leave the house." He then looked back at Sam and Casey. "Let's go."

**Harrison homestead**

It took less then half an hour to drive to the old Harrison's homestead. Nothing remained on the lot except some stones from the old chimney. No one had taken care of the land and it was now overgrown with weeds.

"Where's the body buried?" Dean asked Casey as he took two shovels out of the trunk.

Casey walked over to the stones where the chimney had been.

"In back of the chimney."

"You're sure about that?"

"Yeah, I remember the story from when I was a little kid. My parents brought me out here to see the old homestead and I remember seeing an old tombstone behind the chimney and they said that was where Patrick was buried."

Dean and Sam each took a shovel then began digging behind the collapsed chimney. The tombstone was no longer there, probably stolen by some kids, but they dug anyway hoping that Casey was right about the location.

They had been digging for about ten minutes when Casey walked over and put his hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean could feel him trembling.

"He's here…..The Horseman's here!" Casey said backing up.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter sixteen

Dean and Sam both stopped shoveling and looked around but saw nothing.

"Keep shoveling Sam." Dean said as he picked up the sword and stood protectively next to his brother. He knew Sam was next on the Horseman's list and he was going to save him, or die trying to.

Sam did as his brother asked but he kept looking up nervously expecting to see the Horseman running toward him at any moment.

**Half an hour later **

"There's nothing here Dean…I can't find anything." Sam told his brother as shovel full after shovel full revealed nothing.

Dean looked at Casey.

"I thought you were sure this was the spot."

"I'm sure it is. Like I said there was even a tombstone on it when I saw it. I remember it being right across from that big tree." Casey pointed to an old tree that sat a short distance away.

Sam started digging a little to the left of the chimney hoping to find some sign of a grave. Dean knew it would go a lot faster if two people shoveled and Casey was out of commission with his broken arm. He looked over at Casey as he put down his sword and picked up another shovel.

"If you see any sign of him yell."

"Oh believe me I will." Casey said as he nervously looked around.

They continued digging and finally Sam hit something that sounded semi solid. He reached down and picked up an old piece of wood. He put it aside and dug deeper into the hole. He then reached in and now came out with a small piece of bone.

"I think I found it." Sam said to Dean as he held up the two pieces. "I think it's a piece of the coffin and a piece of bone."

Dean took the pieces out of Sam's hand and examined them.

"Looks good, let's dig down another two feet or so, that should expose enough of the bones to do the job."

But just as they turned back to the grave Casey shouted.

"He's here!" He quickly ran back to the car and jumped in clearly terrified.

Dean looked up just in time to see the Horseman galloping toward them. He threw down his shovel and reached for the sword, but before he could grab it the spirit was on him. He was picked up and thrown across the lot.

"Dean!" Sam shouted as he stood up and watched his brother land hard.

Dean hit the ground hard and rolled letting his body absorb the blow just as their dad had taught him. He quickly looked toward his brother and what he saw horrified him. Sam was looking toward him unaware that the Horseman now stood directly behind him, its machete raised above its head.

"Sam look out!"

Sam ducked just as the machete sliced through the air right where his head had just been.

"Sammy get out of there!" Dean said as he ran toward his brother. "Get to the car!"

Instead of running for the car Sam reached for the silver sword but the spirit slashed downward with the machete slicing him across his back opening up a deep cut across his shoulders. Sam fell to the ground as blood ran down his back saturating his shirt.

"Noooooooo!" Dean screamed as he watched his brother go down.

Sam rolled over onto his back and looked up into the face of the Horseman. Its eyes were open and it stared into Sam's face as the spirit once more raised the machete.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

The Headless Horseman of Monroe County

Thanks for the reviews throughout the story. This is the last chapter, hope its okay. I'm going on vacation for a week and will start posting my next story when I get back. If you decide to read it, I hope you'll like it.

**The Headless Horseman of Monroe County**

Chapter seventeen

This time the blade caught Sam across his chest. He gasped in pain as he fell backward waiting for the fatal blow, but instead of feeling the sharp blade across his throat he felt his brother's body covering him protectively.

"Dean no…get out of here…he'll kill us both." Sam said as he weakly tried to push Dean off of him.

Dean could feel his brother's blood soaking into his clothes and tears filled his eyes as he looked into Sam's blood splattered face. Dean could tell his brother had been gravely injured and would soon die without help. He knew if Sam died he'd be the next one on the list, but he wasn't about to leave his brother. If Sam died he had nothing else to live for and would die with him.

"Hang in there Sammy….Don't you go dying on me…Don't you go doing that." He shouted into Sam's face.

Sam looked into his brother's eyes and tried to focus, but his eyes were heavy from the loss of blood and he couldn't keep them open.

"Sam?" Tears ran down Dean's face as he felt Sam go limp underneath him. He couldn't believe he was watching his brother die, again. "Sammy!"

He turned to look over his shoulder expecting to see the Horseman waiting to finish Sam off with a blow to his throat, but instead he could see that the spirit's attention was directed somewhere else. He looked over and saw that Casey had taken his arm out of the sling and was pouring salt and gasoline into the Horseman's grave.

"I'm going to send you back to Hell you son of a bitch!" Casey shouted before he struck the match. But Dean knew as brave as the act was it wouldn't do any good. There weren't enough exposed bones to do the trick.

Dean felt a twinge of guilt as he remembered that he was ready to kill Casey if necessary to stop the curse and here he was trying to help them.

"Casey get out of here!" Dean shouted a warning as he watched the Horseman's attention turn completely toward Casey. He took that opportunity to roll off of Sam and grab the silver sword.

"Hey jerk off down here!"

The Horseman turned toward him and Dean leapt forward plunging the sword up to its hilt in the spirit's chest. The horse reared up on its hind legs and kicked out at Dean as a scream of rage and pain filled the air. Then as quickly as the Horseman had appeared it disappeared into a ball of flames and soon nothing remained of it but a memory.

Dean immediately turned back to his brother.

"Sammy? Sam?" He pulled his brother's body into his arms; he was unconscious and barely breathing.

"Is he going to be okay?" Casey asked as he walked over.

"I don't know…." Dean said as he checked Sam's wounds. "We've encountered a Horseman before and as long as it is destroyed before it can kill its next victim, the person, even if he's already been injured, heals and survives." He prayed that was going to be true in his brother's case as well, but with the amount of blood Sam had lost he wasn't sure.

"He looks hurt pretty bad."

"He is." Dean pressed his hands over Sam's chest wound trying to stem the flow of blood but it kept bubbling out through his fingers. "Come on Sammy…..I'm not losing you … not again…."

And then as if by a miracle the blood started flowing back into Sam's body. Dean and Casey watched in amazement as even the blood on Sam and Dean's shirt turned bright red and fresh again and flowed back into his wounds. They then watched as the wounds on Sam's body slowly grew shut and healed till there was only a faint scar where once there was a gaping wound.

Casey looked at Dean his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"How…how could he…."

Dean gave Casey a small smile as he watched life flow back into his brother's body.

"I honestly don't know." He knew how it happened didn't matter, what did matter was that Sam was alive.

Sam began to moan and his eyes suddenly flew open.

"What….what's going on?" He asked as he sat up.

"It's over." Dean told him. "You missed it."

"It is?"

"Yep, and you slept through the whole thing."

"I did?" Sam looked around trying to remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was trying to unearth the grave. "It's gone?"

"Right back in its grave where it belongs."

"Are you okay?" Casey asked still in shock from seeing Sam miraculously survive his injuries.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Sam looked down at himself and other then a torn shirt saw nothing to explain Casey's question. "What's going on Dean?" He knew by the way Casey was looking at him that something had happened that he was unaware of.

"We'll talk about it later." Dean said as he stood up then reached down and offered his brother his hand. Sam took it and pulled himself up. He then looked over and saw the fire in the grave just now burning itself out. Is that how they had destroyed it he wondered? He looked at Dean who just smiled; glad his brother was alive and as far as he could tell uninjured. "I'll tell you the whole story back at the motel."

Casey looked back and forth between the brothers.

"Who the hell are you guys?"

"It's better if you don't know….Just forget about us…..The Horseman's gone and we should just leave it at that." Dean reached out his hand and shook Casey's. All the brothers cared about was getting the job done and moving on before the cops became involved. They didn't have time, or felt the need to explain, who they were and what they did for a living.

The brother s packed up their gear then dropped Casey back at his friend's house making him promise never to perform any other ritual that might have been passed down by his great, great, grandmother. He swore he wouldn't, and they believed him. He had seen what one ritual had produced and they didn't think he was about to recite another one.

The brothers then went back to the motel and after washing up managed to get some much needed rest. The next day, satisfied that the Horseman was history, they packed their bags and headed west in search of their next hunt.

The End


End file.
